Things That Can and Cannot Be Said

''What sort of love is this love that we have for countries? Isn't the greatness of great nations directly proportionate to their ability to be ruthless, genocidal? Doesn't the height of a country's "success" usually mark the depths of its moral failure?'

In late 2014, Arundhati Roy, John Cusack, and Daniel Ellsberg travelled to Moscow to meet with NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. The result was a series of essays and dialogues in which Roy and Cusack reflect on their conversations with Snowden. In these provocative and penetrating discussions, Roy and Cusack discuss the nature of the state, empire and surveillance in an era of perpetual war; the meaning of flags and patriotism; the role of foundations and NGOs in limiting dissent; and the ways in which capital but not people can freely cross borders.

About the Author

Arundhati Roy is the author of the novel The God of Small Things, for which she was awarded the Booker Prize in 1997, and two collections of essays: The Algebra of Infinite Justice and An Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire. She lives in New Delhi, India